Apparatus for producing perforated note-sheets.



F. 0. WHITE. APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING PERFORATED NOTE SHEETS. APPLICATIONFILED JULY 21, 1911.

Patented Feb. 6, 1912.

nnrran srarns reta ner ora ion.

FRANK C. WHITE, 0F MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOB TO THE WILCOX & WHITECOMPANY, OF MEBIDEN, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

'have invented certain new and useful Improvements in 'Apparatus forProducing Perforated Note-Sheets, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to apparatus for producing perforated music sheets,which sheets are so perforated that when used in connection with asuitable music playing instrument the composition will be reproduced asto tempo changes, volume shading, etc, precisely as originally renderedby the artist.

To make the perforated'sheet, I employ in connection with the'propercutting machine a mechanical music playing apparatus such as apiano-player or player-piano or organ, and I so associate the expressioncontrolling apparatus of the said music playing instrument with thecutting apparatus that said controlling apparatus simultaneously withcontrolling the expression of the music being rendered by said player,controls the cutting of certain perforations whereby when the playing ofthe composition is finished, the note sheet produced may be put into asuitable music playing instrument and will reproduce the composition asplayed during the cutting of said sheet. In

the present stage of development of this art, the control of theordinary piano-player or player-piano is mainly a manual control,-

with certain few minor exceptions; for example, it has been provided, bymeans of a marginal perforation and marginal ducts in the tracker-board,that the pedal will be operated automatically. It has also been providedthat a solo note may be struck with more vigor than the accompanyingnotes, but beyond such minor details the rendering of a composition upona mechanical player depends wholly upon manual control. The typicallyautomatic instrument of the present day is an instrument which ofnecessity is so relatively complex and the cost of producing musicsheets therefor is so relatively high, that such instruments are verycostly, with the result that by comparison with the ordinarypiano-player or player-piano there are comparatively few in use, sincethe price by contrast is comparatively prohibitive.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 21, 1911.

Patented Feb. d, 1932.

Serial No. 639,755.

It is my aim to make it possible to produce with such accuracyand atsuch comparatively small cost note sheets which are so perforated as toautomatically control the entire expression that the same may be used inconnection with the high grade and well developed piano-playingapparatus so that such apparatus will perform with an efiiciency equalto the costly automatic instruments above referred to. While I havespoken of theinstruments as piano-playing instruments, it will beobvious that the note sheets may be employed with equal efficiency withan organ.

In the accompanying drawing I have shown diagrammatically such parts ofa mechanical player apparatus and the cutting apparatus and theintermediate associated parts as will be necessary for a clearunderstanding of my invention.

1 represents a piano key.

2 represents a mechanically controlled striker, in this instanceoperated by an action pneumatic 3.

4. conventionally represents an action chest with the usual passages andvalves therein characteristic of the usual pneumatic player action.

5 conventionally represents an exhauster.

6 conventionally represents a tension regulator casing having aregulator pneumatic 7 controlling a valve 8. The valve 8, strictlyspeaking, is the equalizer valve.

9 represents a valve, which, when open, puts the exhauster 5 in directcommunication with the interior of the action chest 4, and, when closed,shuts oil direct communication, leaving the only communication throughthe passage controlled by the valve 8. It may be assumed that both ofthese valves are of any well known type which are capable of mechanicalcontrol by pneumatics which are in turn controlled by the opening andclosing of marginal perforations in the well known tracker-board,although one or both of said valves may be manually operated. I

10 represents a pipe or duct which leads to the aforesaid tracker-board(not shown).

In this instance, this duct 10 is one of the regular end ducts whichcontrols the moment of operation of the pneumatic 3.

Thus far I have described in a general way apparatus which is well knownand the particular construction of which I lay no claim to in thepresent case, it being found in seve "al of the well known welldeveloped player mechanisms now generally in use.

I will 'now proceed to describe generally the preferred note sheetcutting apparatus.

is a coupler. In this instance the coupler is a swinging member pivotedon the yoke guide 13, the opposite end being normally out of the rangeof movement of the eccentric 14. ll hcnever it is desired to operate thepunch 12,,this coupler moved so that its upper end. will extend into thezone of rotation of the eccentric l-l, whereby. as said eccentricrevolves, it will frapidly reciprocate the punch 12, so as to cut thepaper 16 traveling over the die 11. The

paper 16 is carried on rolls 17-18, which are driven interi'nittentlypreferably at a uniform rate oi speed. in this particular instance lf)is a friction driving roll, which holds and grasps the paper 16 betweenit and the roller 18. The particular means for driving; the roll 19 isimmaterial. While some means might be provided for cutting the sheet, ifsaid sheet moved steadily ahead instead of intermittently, it should beunder I stood that in this type of a cutting apparatus it is customaryto drive the sheetv intermittently so as to cause the paper to pause atthe instant it is being cut by the punch 12, the forward movement beingbetween the successive punching operations.

I will now proceed to describe the means by which the moment ofoperation of the cutting apparatus is controlled for the purpose ofproducing" a note perforation, as distinguished from amarginalexpression perforation. This means comprises an electro magnet 20, thearmature 21 of which is suitably connectcd with the coupler 15 so thatwhen the magnet 20 is energized the coupler will connect the cutter 12with the cam or eccentric 14 so as to reciprocate the cutter asaforesaid and form the perforation in the advancing paper 10. 'l heenergizing of the magnet- 20 is secured by closing a battery circuitthrough said magnet.

22 represents a battery.

23 is a wire leading from one pole of said battery to the magnet 20.

24 is a return wire from the magnet 20 to one part'Q-S of a circuitcloser. 26 is the other part 01 said circuit closer, which is cmmectcdby wire 27 to the other pole of the battery 22. The circuit closer 25is'so associated with the key 1 that when said key is depressed and solong as said key is depressed. the battery circuit will be closedthrough the magnet 20. from which it follows that so long as said key isdepressed, the cutter 12 will be cutting, in the advancing paper, a noteperforation corresponding to the particular key struck. In thisparticular instance the spacing between the note perforations willdetermine the tempo. In other words, it the note sheet perforations, sayas to a single note, occur frequently one tempo will prevail, and itthey occur less frequently, a slower tempo will prevail. given the samespeed of travel to the sheet in both instances. Therefore, if this samesheet is transferred to a music playing instrument within which the notesheet will travel at a uniform rate, it follows that the particular notecontrolled by that perforation will he struck at a speed determined bythe spacing of the note sheet perforations, hence that kind ofexpression (determined by the tempo) is at once taken care oi.

Having cared for expression due to tempo, it remains to provide formeans to control the expression due to changes in volume, and to thatbranch of my invention 1 will new direct attention. It may be assumedthat the note sheet to be employed with a player apparatus in which thetracker has marginal perforations so associated with the apparatus whichcontrols the tension of air in the action chest, and by which the actionpneumatic 3 are operated, that is a composition is being rendered, theproper variations in dynamic etlect will occur. My purpose is,therefore, in the present invention. to provide the note sheet withmarginal perforations at suchplaces and so spaced as to cooperateproperly with uch a player instrument, and to cause said marginalperforations to be produced in the proper number, at the proper spacing:and of the propel length. l associate the cutter a iiparatus directlywith the regulated air tension of a. player so that the variations intension within the player will cause various marginal periorations to beproduced. By this means I am permitted to use successfully in theproduction of note sheets a pianoplayer which is -in the main i'uanuallycontrolled by an operator sutliciently experi enced to render artisticmusic, employing the ordinary note sheetof the present day. and with orwithout marginal perforations. It will atonce become apparent that thedanger of producing faulty note sheets is inaterially reduced, becauseit such note sheets are to be made by an artist playing directly uponthe piano, there is always grave danger that the artist may strike afalse note, whereas when the note sheets are being produced by the useof a player apparatus, the danger of striking a false note is entirelyeliminated, because a properly cut note sheet is always employed withthe player apparatus, thereby relieving the operator entlrely of thatresponsibility. The operator, therefore, has simply to operate thepianoplayer in such a way as to secure the desired expression. By reasonof this it follows that the cost of producing note sheets for therenderin of arti tic music automaticallv is D u greatly; reduced.

Now turning to the drawing, it will be seen that the interior of theaction chestis connected by a duct 28 with a pneumatic 29. .Thepneumatic 29 carries abrush 30.

31, 32, 33 and 34 represent magnets corresponding to magnet (on areduced scale), which operate respectively cutter units corresponding tocutter 12, these cutter units being employed for forming marginalperforations atone or both edges of the note sheet and in any desirednumber, length and spacing, depending upon the number of magnetsemployed, four magnets 313 233-34c being employed in this-instance. 3l32 333l conventionally represent the cutter units, for the magnets 31 to34 respectively, for forming said marginal perforations. The circuitarrangement in this case be coupled with the battery 22 aforesaid. hemagnets 31 to 34 are wound in the usual manner, and one pole of eachmagnet is provided with a contact head arranged to be swept by the brush30, as shown in the drawings. The other pole of each magnet is directlyconnected by wire to one pole of the battery 22. The other pole of theiattery 22 is connected by wire --36 to the brush 30, in this instancethrough the medium of a spring contact 37.

From the foregoing it will be seen that as the player apparatus is beingoperated, variations in the regulated and effective air tension withinthe action chest will control, through the pneumatic 29, the position ofthe brush 30. In the drawings it may be assumed that in the positionshown, the lowest tension (or pianissimo effect) is occurring, in whichevent thebrush is'not in engagement with any of the terminal ends of themagnets 31 to 34. If this tension is increased sufficiently, the magnet29 will collapse somewhat and bring the brush into contact with theterminal end of the magnet 31, energizing the same to bring intooperation one of the marginal cutters. If the tension is still furtherincreased, the second, third, or fourth, or two or more of said marginalcutters, will be brought into the circuit, thereby causing the operationof the proper marginal cutter, or the or volume variations employed insecuring" different changes in expression.

il hile .l; have shown a pllfitll'l'lfll'lfll trolled player apparatusand electrli intervening mechanism between said. player apparatus andthe cutter apparatus, it is obvious that, broadly speaking, whether theplayer is a pneumatic player or th, intervening mechanism electric inoper tion, is immaterial so long as the player apparatus is soassociated with the cutter that the con trolling element of the playerapparatus by which dynamic changes are produced is so associated withthe cutter apparatus as to cause said cutter apparatus to operate at theproper time, it being entirely new to employ in the production of notesheets a mechanical player apparatus. By this unique method of producingnote sheets great economies are attained.

lVhat I claim is:

1. In. an apparatus for producing perfo' rated note sheets for musicplaying instruments, a cutter apparatus including cutters for forming ina sheet note perforations,

and a separate cutter for forming in said ratus being so arranged as tooperate simul-- taneously one being the other,

and cotlperatively, the speed of variable relatively to the speed. ofthe speed of the latter being substantially uniform, means between saidplayer apparatus and said cutter apparatus for controlling the moment ofand duration of operation of the cutters for forming note perforationsin the sheet being perforated, and means between the player apparatusand the cutter apparatus for controlling the moment of and duration ofoperation of the cutter for forming the expression controllingperforations in the sheet being perforated.

2. In an apparatus for producing pcrforated note sheets for musicplaying instruments, a cutter apparatus including a plurality of cuttersfor forming note perforations in a note sheet, and also a plurality ofcutters for forming perforations in said sheet to control the power ofthe instrument with which said note sheet is to be used, a mechanicalplayer apparatus manually controllable to power, means for driving saidcutter apparatus to feed a note sheet therethrough a substantiallyuniform speed, and manually controllable means for driving said playerapparatus at a variable speed, means between said player apparatus andsaid cutter apparatus for controlling the moment of and, duration of theoperation of the cutters for cutting note perforations, and other meansbetween said player apparatus and said cutter apparatus for controllingthe operation of the cutters for forming the power controllingperforations.

3. In an apparatus for producing perforated note sheets, a mechanicalcutter apparatus, including a plurality of cutters, some for formingnote sheet perforations and some for forming expression controllingperforations, in combination witha manually controllable me i-hanicalplayer piano having elements therein for controlling speed. of operationthereof, and having other elements therein for controlling the powerthereof, connections between said mechanical playe' piano and saidmechanical cutter apparatus for determining the moment of and durationof operation of the cutters for forming the note perforations, and othermeans between the power controlling elements of the mechanical playerpiano and the cutters for the expression controlling perforations forcontrolling the operation of said expression controlling perforationcutters, said cutter apparatus having means for feeding asheet to beperforated therethrough at a substantially uniform speed.

4. In an apparatus for producing perforated note sheets for musicplaying instruments, a cutter apparatus including a plurality of cuttersfor forming perforations in H a note sheet to control the selection ofnotes and also a plurality of cutters for forming perforations in saidsheet to control expression, a mechanical piano-player apparatusincluding apneumatic system for operating the note producing mechanismof a piano with which said player apparatus may be associated, and meansof connection between said pneumatic system and the cutters forproducing said expression controlling perforations whereby said cutterswill be controlled by variations in air tension in said pneumaticsystem.

5. In an apparatus for producing perfo rated note sheets for musicplaying instruments, a cutter apparatus including me ehanically operatedand controlled cutters forforming note perforations in a sheet, meansfor driving a sheet to be perforated across the path of movement of saidcutters, in combination with a piano player apparatus the latter beingcontrollable as to speed, note striking means in said player apparatusand coupler mechanism between said note striking'means and said cuttersrespectively for controlling the selection of cutters as well as themoment of andpe-riod of operation of said cutters on said sheet.

6. In an apparatus for producing perforated note sheets for musicplaying instruments, a cutter apparatus including cutters for formingnote perforations in a sheet, means for moving a sheetto be perforatedthrough said cutter apparatus, in combination with a player apparatus,said cutter apparatus and said player apparatus being arranged tooperate simultaneously and cooperatively and means for manually varyingthe speed of the player apparatus relatively to the speed of travel ofthe sheet to be perforated, and mechanical means between said playerapparatus and said outter apparatus for controlling the moment of andduration of the cutting operation of said cutters on said sheet.

FRANK C. WHITE.

-Witnesses:

R. C. MITCHELL, CHAs. A. Psalm.

